The Calm After The Storm
by Sakura Kissu
Summary: Ladybug ship. Ruby learns that Yang isn't the only person in the world she can count on, and Blake learns that she doesn't have to live in misery to repent for her past.
1. The Purrfect Way To End The Day

_ Please, please, please let me make it! _Ruby thought as she ran through the trees of Emerald Forest. Thunder rumbled in the background as she kept up her pace in the race against the coming storm. Darting through the trees, she caught a glimpse of black in the corner of her eye. "Wha-?" SMACK. Ruby's face met wood, and she promptly fell backwards onto her bum. "Oww," she said as she rubbed her throbbing head. "Wh-what was that?"  
"Oh, hello Ruby" a familiar voice spoke. "Did I distract you?" Ruffling of leaves grew ever closer until they came to a halt right in front of Ruby.

Ruby looked up. "Oh, hey Blake! No, I was just on my way back to campus." She paused for a moment. "Wh-what are you doing way out here? Are you all alone?" Ruby took a quick glance around to check for more unexpected company.

Blake hesitated. "…Yes. I was just having a peaceful read out in the middle of the forest. It's really lovely out today." She looked up toward the sky, a smile grew, then just as quickly faded away. "It seems there is a storm approaching though. I am on my way back to Beacon as well. Would you care to join me?" she asked with a serene smile on her face.

Ruby couldn't help giving a goofy grin in return and nodded eagerly. As Blake extended a hand to help Ruby off the ground, she ended up pulling a bit too hard - Ruby, rather roughly, fell into Blake's person. A slight gust of wind was all that filled the air as both girls had gone eerily silent. It seemed both were afraid of confronting what had just happened. Minute upon minute passed, yet the scene remained unchanged. A drop of rain fell onto Ruby's hand. Then another and another. Blake seemed to also notice this change in weather as she finally broke the silence.

"Ruby. We ought to get going now before it starts pouring." Blake pulled away and turned back toward the school. She stood still for a moment, seemingly waiting for Ruby to come back to her senses as well.

"…Oh. Right!" Ruby exclaimed as her eyes met Blake's backside, rain starting to fall upon her face now. Just as Ruby moved to where Blake stood, Blake moved forward.

"Let's go then," Blake said in an almost uncharacteristically detached tone. Not sure of what this meant, Ruby kept quiet and ran with Blake the rest of the way back to Beacon, rain completely drenching them in the process.

Squeaky shoes announced their arrival in the dorm hall. Thankfully, Yang was spending the weekend at a friend's house and Weiss was off visiting her father, so they didn't disrupt anyone's evening. Blake and Ruby entered their dorm room and quickly shut and locked it, still avoiding each other's gaze. They went to opposite ends of the room, faced their individual walls, and began to undress, placing their soaked clothes on the floor. Ruby, still unsure of what to think of today's events, turned towards Blake's end, "Uh…Blake?" Ruby then realized what she had done. Both were bare except for their undies.

"Yes?" Blake turned to face Ruby, hand deep in one of her dresser drawers.

"Um…" Ruby's face had turned bright red once again, this time mostly due to Blake's now unabashed nature. Ruby stood there for a moment paralyzed. Blake thought nothing of it and put a clean white shirt over herself. Rain was pounding hard outside. Lightning flashed outside their window, then a horrible roar of thunder was heard directly overhead. Ruby snapped to and stumbled through her words. "Early t-today, y-you…" Ruby closed her eyes and breathed deeply. After a moment, she let out a heavy sigh then reopened her eyes. "Earlier today…What happened between us. I…" But Ruby's words escaped her and she couldn't continue.

Blake, noticing how flustered Ruby was, walked toward her and picked up a black shirt with a bright red rose on the front. "Here. I think this would look quite lovely on you." She handed the shirt over to Ruby and Ruby nodded, still a light flush to her face.

"Th-thanks…" Ruby put her shirt on and gave a meaningful look to Blake. "Blake…I have something to ask you…" Ruby said with the most adorable and equally embarrassed look on her face.

Blake gave a smile that resonated her old self. It seems she had returned to her usual demeanor. "Yes, Ruby? How may I help you?"  
"Well…" Ruby finally mustered the courage to ask, "I kind of have a fear of thunderstorms…Usually Yang is there to comfort me at night…Do you…Do you think maybe I could share a bed with you tonight?"

Blake couldn't ignore the upset on Ruby's face and nodded reassuringly. "Of course. I understand."

"Thanks." Ruby couldn't help but have the biggest smile on her face knowing that even without Yang, she still had someone she could lean on for comfort.

The two went to bed together that night and Ruby was able to slip into a peaceful sleep with minimal trouble. The next morning, Ruby awakened deep in Blake's embrace. A smile dawned upon her face and she thought the morning couldn't get any better. That is, until she noticed the vibrations that helped make her night so pleasant and soothing – Blake was purring.


	2. Show Me Yours And I'll Show You Mine

Ruby stared at Blake and pondered for a moment. _Do I feel like getting up just yet? Nah…It's the weekend. Blake's still in her catnap. I think I deserve to sleep in too. _And just like that, Ruby closed her eyes, and with Blake's purring, quickly fell into a deep slumber once again.

Hours passed before Ruby reawakened. With the biggest yawn her little mouth could muster, she groggily opened her eyes to find the black covers of Blake's bed neatly tucked in around her. _Wow…Blake took the time to tuck me in before heading off…That was really nice of her…I should do something for her in return now…But what to do? Hmm… _Ruby got excited at this thought and practically leapt out of bed, ready to start her day.

She had almost finished her morning routine before she finally noticed it – a purple sticky note tucked in between her corgi pillow and her scarlet bed sheets. "Hmm? What's this?" she said aloud to herself as she picked it up.

**Ruby~**

** There's something**

** I need to tell you.**

** Meet me by the**

** Railway Line in  
Forever Fall**

** At 4 this afternoon.**

** Don't be late.**

** ~Blake**

_This seems oddly grave, even for Blake. I wonder what's on her mind, _Ruby thought, heart suddenly becoming heavy. In a somewhat-foolish attempt to rid herself of this dreadful all-consuming feeling, Ruby blankly stared at the note hoping it would change, hoping that it would somehow change into something more cheery-sounding…something that would allow her to think the best of the situation, to think the best of the mysterious note left for her. A minute or two passed before she had no choice but to accept that her always optimistic and wishful nature has a limit to what it can bring into reality. Once she finally let go of what she could not control, she returned to present time and came to the quick realization that she had no idea what the time was currently. In a panic, Ruby checked the clock. Or at least, she would have had she known where in the room the clock was. Or if they even had one.

She had just finished checking under the beds, between the beds, in the piles of clothes on the floor (she still had no idea if they were clean or dirty, but, knowing her sister Yang, it was more than likely a combination of the two), and in all the dresser drawers before she had accepted defeat and quickly rushed back to finishing her morning routine.

__She left the RWBY dorm room in such a hurry that she almost bulldozed right through Nora and Ren on their way back from lunch. Before Nora could say anything in response to almost being trampled however, Ruby quickly shouted a "Sorry!" behind her and continued on her way. Ruby didn't even consider that that was the perfect opportunity to ask for the time until she had made it halfway down the stairs. As she skidded to a halt right before the cafeteria, she peered above the entranceway at the oak clock that adorned the otherwise bland white wall. _3:00…I can grab a quick bite before heading off into Forever Fall, _she thought as she smiled from ear to ear and dashed into the lunch line, ready to pack away some cookies.

With a stomach full of sugary goodness and a mind prepared for almost anything, she darted outside and skipped through the schoolyard on the way to Forever Fall. A bright horizon of red met her eyes and she squinted for a brief moment to let them adjust. Once comfort returned to her, she opened her eyes fully to take in all the beauty that surrounded her. The most gorgeous of crimson leaves decorated the ground, almost in a pattern of sorts, and the sweetness of tree sap lingered in the air, untouched and untainted by the outside world.

The scene was so breathtaking and surreal that Ruby knew she did not have the willpower to continue on without first showing appreciation for what lied before her. She closed her eyes and breathed in slowly, deeply. She stood still, just as this world seemed to, and clutched the cross pendant that hung on the right side of her skirt. _Pure and innocent, _she thought and squeezed her cross ever tighter, a couple of tears welling up in her eyes. Ruby knew from past experience how few and far between such scenes were and that every single one of them was a gift to be cherished.

_Another day, _Ruby thought to herself and sniffed back the tears, dabbing at her eyes a bit to get the waterworks to stop. When she finally regained her composure, her determination returned as well and she sprinted off into the forest. She came across the occasional Grimm and quickly handled it but overall had an easy path to the Railway Line, which she reached some thirty-something minutes after she began her journey.

"Blake!" Ruby shouted with a slight excitement to her voice, possibly due to the monster encounters she had just moments before.

"Oh, Ruby!" Blake turned to face the newcomer, a slight flush enveloping her face. "Please, sit down," she said and patted the fallen tree on which she sat.

"Sure," Ruby replied, a look of determination showing on her face

"And…" Blake said with a bit of humor in her tone, "I see you like cutting it short. It's 3:58."

. "Well, you know me. Always here in the nick of time," she winked then let out a short giggle. "So…" she said after she sat down, regaining her composure once again. "What do you need to tell me? That note really gave me chills when I read it. I've been really worried about you." A look of upset washed over her face.

"I am sorry I worried you, Ruby. I didn't mean to. I just needed time to figure out how to say this. It has been a long while since I've uncovered my wounds in front of anyone." Blake sat there, staring into her lap, unsure of how to continue.

"Blake…We're not just teammates, we're friends. You can tell me anything. I will always be here when you need me. That's what friends do." Ruby reached over and placed her hand over Blake's, cupping it.

Blake squeezed a little in return and continued on. "Ruby…Last night was a wakeup call for me. Ever since…" she paused. "Ever since a certain event in my life, I have always seen vulnerability as a weakness. As a target for those who wish to take me down. And so I closed myself up. I keep a bit of distance with others. But you…" Blake turned to look Ruby straight in the eyes. "You have shown me that it is okay to trust in others. That some will inevitably take advantage of my kindness but that those who truly care about me…" she trailed off. "Well, they will always give their protection when I need it."

Ruby leaned in close and gave Blake a big hug. "It's okay to talk about your past and what hurts you on the inside. I've learned the hard way that it's when we ignore the pain that it always ends up tearing us apart mentally. If you ever need to talk about anything, I am always just a bed away."

Blake hugged Ruby back. "The event…It's not something admirable. Quite the opposite actually…I'm afraid you'll see me in a different light if I tell you…" Her voice started to quiver.

Ruby chuckled and gave a reassuring pat on the back. "Blake…Your past does not define who you are. We all make mistakes. It is when we are able to accept our past and learn from it that we can live up to our full potential."

Blake wiped away a tear that started to form and nodded slowly. "Okay then…Just…Please remember this was a time when I didn't know better…"

Ruby squeezed Blake tightly then let go. "That's fine. We were all different people yesterday. It is the choices we make when we know better that speak volumes of our character."

"Right," Blake replied and began her tale. "The reason why I came to Beacon…The reason why I decided to become a huntress…It deals with how I was treated as a child. As a faunus, I was treated as a secondary citizen, just mud under humans' shoes. I started advocating race equality, as a lot of faunus I knew did. Sadly, over the years, our kind noticed we were being ignored through our peaceful protests. And eventually it got to the point that the White Fang could no longer ignore that we weren't making advances quickly enough for our satisfaction. I am not sure how it happened exactly, but the change seemed immediate, almost overnight."

Blake became silent for a moment, considering how best to press forward. And the longer the silence grew, the more concerned and awkward Ruby became in her presence. After what felt like forever, Ruby couldn't hold it in anymore, her kid-like energy and lack of patience returning. "What happened? What changed?"

"A new leader was put in charge and we were lead down a much more violent path, taking what we felt we deserved. We were starting to see the changes we always demanded, however this equality came not from respect, but from fear. It never sat well with me but I always pushed it off into the back of my mind, deciding that what we were doing was ultimately good. A foolish mindset to have, I am aware of that now." Blake paused, half expecting Ruby to make a horrified remark. When no remark came, she continued on.

"I lived in this fairytale world for some time. Ignorance is bliss; that saying holds some truth to it. It felt good to be my own knight in shining armor, so to speak. However, this delusion of mine couldn't last forever. Deep down somewhere, even I knew I would have to confront my fears. Sooner or later. And that day came."

Ruby watched Blake clench her fists as she continued. "The White Fang were to raid a Schnee Dust cargo train. Well, two members specifically – myself…and Adam. He and I had been partners for a few years by the time we were given this mission. We thought nothing of it, as it certainly wasn't anything out of the ordinary for us."

She stopped and looked at Ruby, with a smirk now upon her face, "You know, it's strange how something that seems so ordinary…could end up being just the thing to force you to reflect upon yourself and your life choices." She pondered for a moment, drew a deep breath, then continued on once again.

"We of course came across security during this raid. We were prepared for that as Mr. Schnee is known for putting some high tech security systems around his product during deliveries. What I was not expecting however…was having to confront Adam. You see, I have always known Adam to be a bit brash and to take things one step further as a means to accomplish his goals. That also never set well with me, but alas, I had learned to tolerate it over the years. This mission though…He went overboard.

"As we were dismantling AK-130 Androids, we came across a Spider Droid. I urged Adam to follow me and lead the Spider Droid away from the compartments where innocent civilians were staying…but he had other plans.

"He asked me to buy him time by distracting the Spider Droid while he readied his attack. I did so, but only out of survival. And when he had completely obliterated the Spider Droid, I ran up ahead onto another compartment and cut the one he was on loose. My final words to him were 'Good bye' and I haven't seen him since.

"The reason why…" Blake's eyes started to well up with tears. "The reason why I have such a hard time accepting this part of me…The reason why I have trouble letting go of everything…is because Adam was more to me than just a business partner…He was my mentor…my only friend for the longest time…I…I even grew deep feelings for him…"

Ruby gave Blake a gentle squeeze of the hand to comfort her.

"At times I got the feeling he knew me even better than I knew myself…He knew my limits and who I was and he still used my naïveté and kindness against me!" Blake burst into tears and wrapped her arms around Ruby's neck.

"H-hey now…It's okay…Don't cry…" Ruby hugged Blake tightly and laid Blake's head down on her shoulder. "Sh-shh…It's okay. Everything will be alright." She started rubbing Blake's back reassuringly.

"Hey there…Don't be ashamed of what you did back then. After all, everything you did led up to who you are as a person now. And I gotta say, the person curled up in my arms right now is pretty amazing~!" Ruby said with a ridiculously sincere enthusiasm in her voice.

"Y-y-you think so?" Blake asked through her sniffles, wiping her nose on her sleeve.

"Of course, I do! You're a valuable member of Team RWBY and we wouldn't be the same without you!" Ruby wiped away some tears.

"Yeah…I am pretty great now. I stand up for the weak like I've always wanted to, like I originally sought out to do. And now, I can and will do it on my own terms – the right way." Blake nodded, confidence and determination emerging from the ruins of her past memories.

"Yeah!" Ruby exclaimed, enthusiasm now bursting from her veins. "Let's go get some dinner now!" She practically jumped off the ground with energy and pulled Blake up with her. "It's time to start enjoying the present, Blake."

Blake returned the smile eagerly. "It sure is. Now, time to get some dinner before the cafeteria closes."

The two held hands the entire way back to Beacon, partly for Blake's reassurance and partly because, well, maybe something more was in the mix of developing.

After a lengthy talk with Nora and Ren over dinner about earlier, Ruby apologizing profusely during the entire course, and everyone saying their good nights upon entering the dorm hallway, Blake and Ruby headed back into their room for a much needed rest.

But right before Blake turned off the lights, she leaned over Ruby in her garnet covers and corgi pillow, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks. And good night," she said with a sly smile on her face.

As Ruby's face began to match the color of her sheets, she couldn't help but have the dumbest smile on her face long after the room had gone to black.


End file.
